Chocolat
by tic tac toe 03
Summary: When Puck gatecrashed his best friend's girlfriend's trip to Lima to visit her best friend he never expected to fall in love with one girl let alone two. Quick, Finchel, Klaine.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. **_

_I started writing this a few weeks ago and with my past of starting a story, posting and then loosing inspiration and being unable to finish I have already finished this and it's all typed up and ready to post. This story and title was inspired by the film Chocolat but bears limited resemblance. In this story Puck is not Beth's father as it fitted the plot of the slightly plotless story better. _

"Mommy?" Quinn looked up to see her seven year old daughter standing in the doorway to the kitchen thumb in mouth with one sock pulled up to her knees and the other rolled down near her ankles.

"Yes Beth." She smiled stopping stirring the pan of chocolate in front of her and turning so that her hip was leaning against the kitchen counter and she was fully facing her daughter. "Everything alright?"

The little girl nodded wandering further into the kitchen and scrambling onto one of chairs so that she could sit on the one bit of counter which was empty. "Aunty Rachel's here." She announced proudly kicking her feet against the cupboard below as her mother wondered how her heels didn't end up bruised.

Rachel was Quinn's best friend from high school and also Beth's godmother but she lived in New York, as a star on Broadway, and so the two Fabray's in Lima rarely saw her. "And she's brought friends with her." Beth finished.

Quinn smoothed the curls of her daughter's forehead and laughed as Beth ducked away squealing. She had raised Beth alone after having her first and only one night stand and she hadn't seen the father since. "Where is Aunty Rachel then?"

"Behind you." Quinn spun round as the sound of her best friend's famous voice reached her ears.

"Rachel." She squealed throwing her arms around her tightly. "What are you doing here?"

"Sorry is it a bad time?" She asked worriedly stepping back and glancing round the kitchen which was covered in trays full of chocolates ready to be sold in the shop attached to the kitchen which Quinn owned.

"No not at all." Quinn reassured her stepping back as she remembered that she was halfway through tempering chocolate. "It's great to see you."

"Well I've got two weeks before I'm starting my next show and I thought I'd come and spend it with my favourite goddaughter." She picked up Beth and swung her round as the girl laughed and squealed happily.

"I'm your only goddaughter." Beth pouted up at her as she was set back down on the floor.

"And so you're my favourite." Rachel winked at her peering at the tray of truffles in front of her. "And I was having withdrawal symptoms from your mom's chocolates."

"They are pretty good." Quinn nodded grinning. "Beth said you brought friends."

"Yeah is it alright if they stay here? There are four of them. You can say no because I know I haven't asked or warned you but…"

"Rach." Quinn held up her hand to stop the rant that was starting. "They can stay that's fine if two of them don't mind the couches in the living room; you've got the spare room and the other two can have the other one."

Rachel bit her lip. "Well actually Finn would be with me seeing as we are dating."

"You're dating someone." Quinn squealed dropping her spoon into the melted chocolate as Beth laughed and climbed up onto the surface to fish it out. "When did that happen? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Talking about me are we?" A voice from the doorway made all three females turn to see a tall giant of a man standing there a dopey grin on his face.

"Finn." Rachel grinned winding her arms around his waist. "This is my best friend Quinn and her daughter Beth. This is Finn my boyfriend." She made the introductions as Quinn and Finn shook hands and Beth stuck her tongue out at him.

"So you're the woman who makes the chocolate." Yet another voice sounded behind Finn and a smaller man with a mohawk appeared with another two men who were holding hands.

Quinn glanced at Rachel hoping for an explanation to why she had brought so many guys with her. "This is Puck." She gestured to the one who had spoken. "And Kurt who is Finn's stepbrother and his boyfriend Blaine."

"Nice to meet you." Quinn smiled while Beth smiled and glanced at her mother decided that she wasn't looking and dipped her finger into the chocolate. "Beth." She said warningly while Beth pouted.

"I need to finish these." She gestured at the tray of truffle centres ready to be coated. "But Beth can take you upstairs to your rooms and I'll join you in a minute. Beth." She turned to her daughter who had hopped off the counter and taken Rachel's hand. "Aunty Rachel gets the room next to yours with Finn, Blaine and Kurt get the one next to mine and Puck gets the couch- sorry." She added to him.

"No worries." He waved it aside as they others made to return back into the closed shop where they had dumped their bags. "Thanks for having us to stay."

Quinn glanced up at him and smiled before he followed Kurt out.

"Seriously Kurt how many suitcases did you need." Finn groaned as he heaved his one, one of Rachel's two and one of Kurt's three up the stairs to the flat. Rachel was managing her other one, while Beth had been trusted to Rachel's handbag and the others were lugging up their own although Puck also had one of Kurt's.

"It never hurts to be too prepared for fashion emergencies." Kurt rolled his eyes and then glared at Puck whose suitcase had banged into his legs and he was sure that he had done it on purpose. "Which Rachel has every day." He muttered under his breath as Puck and Blaine sniggered.

"I heard that." Rachel called back as Beth pushed the door to the open to reveal a large open plan living and kitchen area.

"Meant you too." Kurt grinned at her and then turned to Beth who had collapsed on one of the couches. "Which one is mine and Blaine's?"

Beth pointed at the door to their right. "That one, the one next to it is Mommy's and the one opposite hers is mine and you're next to me." She grinned at Rachel and Finn pleased by this.

The four disappeared into their rooms while Puck sat down next to Beth. "So is your Mommy seeing anyone at the moment?"

Beth looked at him as though he was crazy. "No; she's in the kitchen by herself."

Puck bit back a laugh remembering that she was only seven. "Is she dating anyone at the moment?"

Beth was old enough to know what he was talking about and shook her head. "No; can you read me a story?"

"Sure what do you want me to read?" He looked slightly surprised but hid it as Beth plonked the first Harry Potter book in his lap. "We're on chapter five." She informed him snuggling into his side. Again he was slightly surprised but smiled at her and wrapped his arm around her as she leant her head against his side.

And that was how Kurt and Blaine found them ten minutes later. Kurt put his finger to his lips to warn Blaine to be quiet and not disturb them and then silently awwed at the two. Blaine grinned and sat down on the opposite couch tugging Kurt down onto his lap and sharing a smile with Kurt as the two engrossed in Harry Potter didn't register their presence.

"He'd make a great father one day." Blaine's breath was hot against Kurt's ear. "If he ever finds a girl to settle down with."

Kurt twisted slightly so he could look into his boyfriend's eyes. "You'll make a great dad one day too."

"So will you." Blaine nodded as Kurt settled back against his chest. The two looked up as the door opened and Quinn appeared her yellow vest top slightly stained in chocolate. This time Beth and Puck had heard the sound too and looked up, slightly surprised to see Kurt and Blaine there too.

"Mommy, Puck's reading Harry Potter to me." Beth gabbled excitedly as Puck grinned sheepishly at Kurt who looked ready to make fun of him.

"That's great honey." She dropped a kiss on her daughters head. "Thanks Puck." She added. "Where are Finn and Rachel?"

Puck smirked and opened his mouth to say something but then closed it as he remembered the seven year old curled up into him. Blaine pointed at the closed bedroom door and Quinn banged on it. "Keep it clean in there guys." She smirked at Kurt and Blaine and disappeared into her room emerging seconds later in a clean top.

"Well keep reading." Beth nudged Puck while Blaine and Kurt hid their grins as Puck obliging kept reading; they had never seen him so under a girl's control, seven or twenty seven.

Several hours later Puck had finished Harry Potter while Quinn and Rachel had caught each other up on the gossip between their joint friends and Kurt and Finn argued good naturedly before Kurt and Blaine cooked dinner as Finn tried to be helpful before Kurt chucked him out and he joined Quinn and Rachel.

"Bathtime Beth." Quinn glanced at the clock and sighed as it read half eight. "It's way past your bedtime."

"But…?"

"No buts." Quinn gave a sharp look. "Come on; they're still be here in the morning and for a whole two weeks." Beth opened her mouth to argue again and then yawned and took her mother's offered hand.

"Goodnight." She kissed them all on the cheek hugging her godmother tightly as well. "See you in the morning." She was led off by her mother to her chorus of goodnights.

"Will you sing to me Mommy?" She asked half an hour later when she was curled up in bed hugging her stuffed elephant that Rachel had given her when she was born. Quinn nodded slipping an arm around her shoulders and softly started to sing to her.

Beth's eyes fluttered close and Quinn finished the song before kissing her on the cheek. "Goodnight; I love you."

"I love you too." Beth muttered sleepily.

Quinn returned to her living room to find an argument breaking out. Finn was pouring wine while Rachel, Kurt and Puck were crouched on the floor by Quinn's stack of DVDs arguing over what to watch; Blaine was watching with an amused look on his face.

"Are they always like this?" Quinn sunk onto the sofa next to Blaine accepting the wine Finn offered to her; pleased that they were all making themselves so at home.

"Normally worse." Blaine admitted. "But you haven't got many musicals so Rachel and Kurt aren't fighting each other and Puck but he's desperate not to watch a chick flick."

"Don't you ever get a choice?"

"On rare occasions." Blaine rolled his eyes as a decision was made and Kurt curled into Blaine's side while Puck slid Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince into the DVD player something that they were all pleased about.

Rachel and Finn claimed the other couch and Puck glanced around debating where to sit. Finn and Rachel were all sprawled out and he didn't fancy the floor. Quinn made the decision for him and patted the spot next to her which Puck gratefully squeezed into.

Quinn was now sat between Blaine and Puck while Kurt was sat on Blaine's lap again to make room for them all his feet lying over Quinn and Puck's lap. Quinn grinned pleased that she had fit into the group so well and they were all comfortable around her.

As a single parent she didn't have the close knit friendship group and all of her closest friends were split up around the country. Brittany and Santana lived in LA and Mercedes in New York near Rachel. Tina, her partner in the shop and friend from college, was great but she had a fiancé and Quinn often felt like a third wheel apart from their attempts not to make her feel that way.

Puck's knee knocked against hers and they both froze, carefully keeping their eyes on the screen. It was the tensest viewing of Harry Potter Quinn had ever sat through as she tried to keep from touching Puck and therefore pressing against Blaine a lot more, he sent her several amused and knowing looks.

"Well we're off to bed." Finn muttered standing up and stretching as the credits rolled.

"Us too." Kurt slipped off Blaine's lap and pulled him up. "Goodnight."

The two couples disappeared leaving Quinn and Puck alone sitting on the couch. There was a tense silence between Quinn broke it. "I'll go and get you some bedding." She muttered leaping to her feet and knocking on Kurt and Blaine's door to where the bedding was kept.

"Sorry guys." Quinn apologised. "I need to get Puck some bedding." Kurt was in the bathroom attached to the room and Blaine was sitting on the edge of the bed checking his phone.

"Don't worry." He waved it off. "Thanks for having us to stay and invading your place."

"No problem." She smiled as she tugged on the duvet on the top shelf and it fell on her head. "Don't laugh." She muttered as Blaine choked back his laughter.

"Sorry." He apologised. "Can I do anything to help?"

"No I've got it thanks." She paused at the doorway and then stopped. "Actually it would be great if you all could help me out tomorrow; I'm on my own in the shop all two weeks as Tina, my partner, is on holiday."

"Sure what will we need to do?"

"Serve in the shop and I trust you, Kurt and Rach enough to help me in kitchen. And then someone will need to pick Beth up from school and help her with homework and do dinner and things."

"I think we can cope with that." Blaine nodded.

"Thank you." Quinn grinned thankfully at him. "It's hard without Tina; managing the shop and Beth."

"You've done great; Beth's lovely."

"Thanks; goodnight."

"Goodnight." Blaine echoed as she shut the door behind her and then squealed.

"What?" Puck turned round sharply shirtless and only in a pair of boxers. Quinn blushed and practically threw the bedding at him.

"Sleep well, goodnight." She darted into her room and slammed the door shut behind her before collapsing on her bed and groaning. She had acted like a teenager again in the presence of the guy she liked- the humiliation welled up and she shook it aside vowing to be more collected tomorrow.

_Thanks for reading- hope you enjoyed and there weren't too many mistakes (I can't proof-read well sorry). The next chapter should be up soon- but reviews would be amazing and make my day as I struggle through AS level exams (only 3 more!). _

_Tacxxx _


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**Sorry to all of those who I told that this chapter would be up at the weekend- I was going to update on Sunday night but completely (I'm going to blame it on exam stress but it's probably just me being stupid) but it's up now- thanks to everyone who reviewed- I love you guys! Enjoy! **

"Have you got your homework?" Quinn asked quietly as she knelt down and zipped up Beth's coat. "And your lunch?"

"Yeah." Beth nodded. "Can we please go now; I want to see Charlie; she's got a new doll." Charlie, short for Charlotte, was Beth's best friend and she often spend the night or weekends there if Quinn was especially busy; Julie, her mother, was one of Quinn's lifesavers and she truly had no idea what she'd do without the woman.

"Come on then." Quinn stood back up swung Beth's school bag onto her shoulder while the girl carried her Winnie the Pooh lunchbox and then took Beth's spare hand. "I won't pick you up from school today."

She started her instructions for how the day would play out as she shut the door quietly careful not to wake the sleeping people within. She still didn't know how Puck had slept through her getting up and dressed, getting Beth sorted and making breakfast (although they had eaten it in Quinn's room much to Beth's excitement) and finally their departure from the house.

"But someone will; just look for Aunty Rachel or her friends." She finished as they started down the stairs and through the shop before stepping out onto the pavement. "I'll tell Mrs Peters that it won't be me picking you up."

"Ok." Beth nodded skipping along her lunchbox banging into her side. "Do you like Aunty Rachel's friends?"

Quinn nodded thinking back to the five still sleeping in her apartment; she had left them a note telling them to help themselves to breakfast and the time she would be back. "Yeah they're lovely. Do you like them?"

Beth grinned at her. "Yeah; Blaine played his guitar for me and Kurt sang along with Aunty Rachel; they sound nice together. And Puck read Harry Potter to me."

Quinn smiled squeezing her hand tightly pleased that she wasn't fazed by the new people invading her home. "I'm glad you like them."

"Do you like Puck?" Beth asked looking curious as Quinn stopped blushing. "Why are you going red?"

"I'm not." Quinn denied pulling Beth along quickly. "Why do you ask?"

"He wanted to know if you were dating anyone." Beth informed her almost darting in front of a car, before Quinn pulled her back, as she saw the gates to her school. Her mother was pleased that she had little trouble getting her daughter to school as other parents; Beth loved school.

"What did you tell him?" Quinn asked her blush returning as she remembered how the duvet had fallen of Puck in the night and she had had yet another view of his toned chest. He had looked so peaceful as he slept on the couch and she had been unable to resist tucking the cover back around him and running her thumb across his cheek.

"No." Her daughter answered. "Why did he ask me that?"

Quinn shrugged. "No idea; men work in weird ways." She winked looking down at her daughter before they walked through the gates and into the playground where they were hit by the noise of children playing and parents talking to each other and teachers.

"Would you date him?" Beth asked tugging on her hand. "I liked him. You haven't dated anyone since Jesse." She missed her mother's flinch at the name but Quinn shrugged it off putting the memory aside.

"I don't know." Quinn knelt down and hugged her. "Have a lovely day and I'll see you at home; someone will pick you up." She kissed her forehead and handed over the bag before Beth darted over to Charlie and several other friends.

Quinn watched her go with a smile and then sought out Beth's teacher to inform her of the picking up plans so that Mrs Peters knew that she wouldn't be letting Beth go off with strangers before waving at Julie and a couple of other parents she knew and then starting the short walk home.

By the time Quinn had returned home the others were all up and ready and after accepting their offer to help her Quinn had set them all to work seeing as there wasn't much she would be stopping them from doing; Lima was not an exciting town or even near anywhere exciting.

And not that Quinn knew this but Mercedes had called Rachel with the news that Quinn would be on her own without Tina's help at work and none of them could get away from work and as Rachel could would she go down and help.

Seeing as she had been meaning to see Quinn for ages and introduce her to Finn it had seemed like the perfect time and then the others had all heard of the trip, wanted to see Rachel's home town and the infamous woman who they had never met but had heard so much about.

Puck and Finn had been entrusted to the shop under Blaine's supervision. Quinn had trusted them to keep it going themselves but Kurt and Rachel had appeared dubious and so Blaine had offered his services although Quinn had her suspicions that he wanted to be in on the discussion of the football game that had taken place yesterday afternoon.

Rachel had then been put in charge of bagging chocolates up in the small room next to the kitchen but the door was kept open so she could join the chatter. Kurt was following the recipe for truffles a favourite and Quinn was creating more complicated flavoured chocolate in stunning shapes.

"So how long have you and Blaine been together?" Quinn asked breaking the silence that had fallen between them apart from Rachel's singing along to the radio.

Kurt looked up as she broke his concentration and added the softened butter to the chocolaty mix in front of him. "We got together halfway through college; I was roommates with his friend David."

"And how did it happen? Who asked who?" Quinn shot questions at him while Rachel laughed from the other room breaking off from her rendition of 'Don't stop believing'.

"You sound like a teenage girl." Kurt raised one eyebrow delicately as he put the bowl aside to let it set before he could pipe it into truffle size spheres later.

Quinn raised her wooden spoon in defence smiling as she did so. "I don't get to do this thing often; Tina was already with Mike when we started this." She gestured round the kitchen at her pride and joy. "Santana and Brittany have been dating since forever and Mercedes hasn't seen someone serious for ages and Rachel apparently doesn't keep me updated with her love life." She raised her voice pointedly and the girl in the other room ignored her.

"Just let me have my fun." Quinn finished while Kurt shook his head laughing.

"We were friends for about a year before I finally told him that I liked him." Kurt started the story leaning against the counter and folding his arms across his chest. "And then he told me that he didn't want to ruin our friendship and didn't feel the same way."

Quinn gave a low whistle and turned her full attention onto Kurt. "Wow that must have hurt."

"You've no idea." Kurt nodded. "I thought that was the end of everything but he seemed keen just to forget about it and keep our friendship."

"Which you had a good cry about." Rachel appeared in the doorway. "Chocolates are all bagged up." She added.

"I didn't cry." Kurt protested glaring at her. Rachel gave him a pointed look and he pulled a face. "Well maybe for a bit." He conceded as Rachel tried to swipe a finger into the bowl and then yelped as Quinn swatted her hand away.

"So what happened then?"

"A few months later I visited Finn and his parents with them and Rachel." Blaine had appeared in the kitchen and wound his arm around Kurt's waist kissing his cheek. "And heard him singing Blackbird to their warbler who had died. And that was the moment for me when I knew that I needed him in my life as something more than friends; that I loved him."

"Aww." Quinn sighed as the two gazed into each other's eyes remembering back to those days. There was a crash from the shop and the two broke apart while Rachel looked at Blaine suspiciously

"You left them alone in there." She glared at him before Finn poked his head round the door reassuring them that Puck had just walked into the door leading up to the flat and nothing was damaged.

Quinn glanced at the clock and decided that it was lunchtime. "Do you guys want to break for lunch? We can lock up shop and go out to eat somewhere."

Puck poked his head round the door. "You had me at lunch."

Rachel and Kurt shared an exasperated look. "Do you ever think about anything other than your stomach?" Puck ignored them while Blaine and Quinn laughed.

"How about Rachel and Quinn go out for lunch and we'll eat here." Kurt offered as Finn's stomach grumbled and then looked sheepish as his girlfriend raised her eyebrows at him.

"Are you sure?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah; you two need to catch up anyway. I know what girls are like and Rachel talks forever." Finn ducked as Rachel aimed a punch at him for the last comment.

"Ok; we'll close the shop for lunch and you four can help yourselves to anything upstairs or order something in; there's numbers on the fridge." Quinn decided as Finn and Puck bolted to argue over lunch and Quinn and Rachel followed slowly to get ready leaving Kurt and Blaine alone in the kitchen.

There was a silence between them for moment before Blaine broke it. "Did you really cry?"

Kurt blushed. "You heard that."

Blaine bit his lip at the indirect confirmation. "I'm sorry." He muttered lowly looking away from Kurt. "I never wanted to make you cry. I hate it when you cry."

"And I hate it when you cry." Kurt countered pulling Blaine against his chest and keeping his arms around him in a tight hold. "Blaine babe it's all in the past and we're together now anyway. Don't let it bother you."

"But it does." Blaine was still refusing to meet his eyes and Kurt was slightly confused at why he was taking this so badly they had had worse fights.

He turned Blaine in his arms so that the smaller boy was looking at him. "What's brought this on?"

"Nothing." Blaine looked down and Kurt tilted his chin up and smoothed his thumb against his cheek.

Kurt leant his forehead against his boyfriends. "I know when you're lying." Blaine remained silent. "This isn't really about me crying is it?" Kurt came to the conclusion and was rewarded as Blaine agreed. "Then what is it?"

"It's just that Quinn reminds me of my sister." Blaine whispered and Kurt felt like hitting himself for not having thought of it before. Blaine's sister had been a single mother too and had looked remarkably similar to the blonde chocolatier. And then by the hands of one drunk driver two years ago they had both vanished from Blaine's life.

"I'm so sorry babe." Kurt kissed his forehead and then pulled Blaine even closer against him rubbing his back soothingly as Blaine leant into him and cried.

They stood like that for ages and Finn who had come down to see where they were had understood immediately and mouthed at Kurt that they would keep pizza warm for Blaine and they had made Kurt a salad.

"Don't tell Quinn will you?" Blaine finally pulled away from him his eyes red rimmed but no longer crying. "I think she'd feel guilty."

"I think you're right." Kurt agreed kissing his cheek again. "And I won't tell her. Now come on Finn's saved you pizza and they even made me a salad."

"You alright Blaine?" Finn asked as the two entered the room hand in hand. He nodded and accepted the plate of pizza with a smile. "Kurt Mom called we need to call her and Burt." The brunette nodded and followed his brother into the room he was sharing with Rachel.

"Sure you're ok?" Puck asked again as Blaine sat down. They rarely spent time alone and so there was a slightly awkward atmosphere in the room.

"Yeah." Blaine nodded and Puck accepted the reassurance knowing what had set Blaine off and deciding that there was nothing he could do except act normally.

"You want to watch the replay of yesterdays match?"

"Go for it." Blaine grinned swallowing a mouthful of pizza while Puck reached for the remote.

"Hey Emma." Quinn called to the woman behind the counter of the café she had just entered with Rachel behind her. It was the usual café that Quinn visited either with Tina on their lunchbreak when they felt they needed a treat, with Beth on a special occasion or whenever Rachel or another of her friends visited. As a result she knew Emma well, as did Rachel.

"Hi Quinn, Rachel." Emma waved as the two took their usual table. "You guys wanted the usual?"

"Please." Rachel answered loving how in this small town people had a relationship like this and customers were remembered something that rarely happened in New York.

"So when did you and Finn start going out?" Quinn asked launching straight into the catching up. "How did you meet? Why didn't you tell me?"

Rachel rolled her eyes and held her hand up to stop the onslaught of questions that Quinn was throwing at her. "Slow down; I didn't tell you because I was going to come down to stay with you now anyway so I thought I'd surprise seeing as you are always going on at me to find someone which is quite hypocritical by the way."

"Not really." Quinn protested at the last statement. "You're always on at me to find someone too."

Rachel ignored that and started her tale. "Blaine and Kurt are my neighbours." She started.

"They are your best friends in New York aren't they?" A flash of realisation came over Quinn as she remembered the phone conversations where the two names had been casually dropped in.

"Apart from Mercedes." Rachel agreed talking of the woman who was part of the five from high school.

"So when did you meet Finn?" Quinn repeated eagerly and then took her glass and plate from Emma who had appeared. "Thanks Em, you want to join us. Rachel's about to tell her story about her new man."

"You found someone?" Emma grinned at the blushing Broadway star who was now staring intently at her glass of sparkling water. "That's great; I'd join you two but I've got to make a phone call now, sorry." She smiled at them both before disappearing back behind the counter and dialling a number on the phone.

"So what happened?"

"Impatient much?" Rachel laughed while Quinn scowled. "I met Finn on Kurt's birthday."

_Rachel was running late and swearing under her breath as she half ran half tottered down the street in her stilettos that she had paired with a blue dress that fell down to her knees. She came to halt outside the restaurant where Kurt's birthday dinner was being held to catch her breath before pushing open the door and following a waiter to the table where a large number of people were sitting._

_"Sorry I'm late." She sent Kurt a sheepish grin as he stood up to greet her. "Got caught on the phone to Quinn."_

_"The chocolatier right?" Kurt returned the hug and kissed her cheek._

_"Yeah; the blonde with a daughter." Rachel confirmed. "Happy Birthday." She handed him an envelope which he opened eagerly while the rest of the guests watched the interaction._

_"You got me tickets to Wicked." Kurt grinned happily hugging her tightly again._

_"Really Rachel?" Blaine glared at her. "I've sat through ten performances of that already."_

_"Which is why I'll take Rachel to this one." Kurt ruffled his hair that for once wasn't full of gel as Kurt liked it best that way. "That way I won't have to sit next to someone huffing and sighing all the way through."_

_"And that's why I bought them." Rachel smirked giving Blaine a hug as well as he stood up for one._

_"This is my father Burt, step-mother Carole and step-brother Finn." Kurt started introductions. "Wes and David, friends from high school. Guys this is Rachel our neighbour and best friend."_

_"I thought we were best friends." David clasped a hand to his chest dramatically. "You wound me Kurt and I want that jacket I bought you back."_

_"What so you can wear it?" Blaine rolled his eyes as Wes shoved David and Finn laughed while Rachel sat down between Wes and Finn._

_The conversation soon split off between Kurt and his parents, David and Blaine who were arguing about something that had happened years ago but they had still to let go off and Wes was making helpful comments on either side to the others displeasure and so Rachel and Finn were left to each others company._

_"So you're on Broadway right?" Finn asked taking a sip of his beer._

_"Yeah, I'm in Spring Awakening at the moment." She answered smiling at him and glancing over the menu._

_"Cool, what's that about." Finn asked showing how he was of a completely opposite personality to his step-brother. She proceeded to give him a rundown of the plot before the conversation flowed on with no one else being able to join in and so having to make do with each other._

_When the evening had come to an end they had all politely said goodbye to Carole and Burt before David and Wes had vanished off and Blaine had asked Finn to take Rachel home as he had somewhere he wanted to take Kurt._

_Somewhere along the walk home their hands had found their way to hold the other's and while they had both blushed at the contact the chatter had continued. They had paused at Rachel's front door unwilling to say goodbye to each other before their lips met and arms went round each other._

_"That was…" Rachel found herself lost for words as they drew apart._

_"Yeah." Finn leant his forehead against hers and took a deep breath. "Would you like to maybe go out tomorrow night?"_

_Rachel smiled thinking of her arrangement to meet a friend who she didn't really like. "I'd love that."She admitted shyly._

_"I'll pick you up at seven then." Finn grinned and she was reminded of an overly excited puppy._

_"Great."_

"Aww." Quinn sighed as Rachel's tale came to an end along with their meals.

"I know." Rachel nodded draining her glass. "He was so perfect and gentlemanly and…"

"You love him don't you?" Quinn recognised the expression on her best friend's face.

"I think I do." She smiled happily as her boyfriend's face entered her mind.

"When are you going to tell him?"

Rachel looked up and met Quinn's eyes which showed her happiness for her friend. "Soon."

**_Thanks for reading; reviews are welcome but not required! _**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_**Disclaimer: **__**I own nothing **_

_**Thank you to everyone who reviewed/alerted/favourite. Hope you enjoy this chapter! **_

Beth lifted her bag of her peg and swung it onto her bag, the boy behind her ducking out the way as she almost hit him in the face with it. Not realising that he was now glaring at her she darted out of the classroom and into the playground.

She glanced around looking for a familiar face and then spun round upon hearing her name being called out several times. Finn and Puck were standing together waving at her enthusiastically. "Hey Puck, hey Uncle Finn." She greeted cheerfully.

"Uncle Finn?" He questioned surprised while Beth hugged Puck and then him.

"Yeah; you're with Aunty Rachel so you're Uncle Finn." She said simply as though he was stupid not to have come to this conclusion before. Finn smiled touched by this display of love and took her bag from her.

"Have you had a good day at school?" Finn asked as Beth slipped her hand into Finn and Puck's, after the latter had taken her lunchbox from her, and she led them out onto the streets for the way home.

"Yeah we played baseball during PE." Beth seemed excited by this which surprised the two men as Quinn had not struck them as the sporty type. "My team won."

She was about to carry on with this topic but another thought struck her. "Puck?" She asked glancing up at him. "Why did you ask me yesterday if Mommy was dating someone?"

The man froze and blushed before carrying on walking sending Finn a 'help me' look to no avail as the taller man was trying his hardest not to laugh having already figured out Puck's feelings towards Quinn. "Because I like her." Puck answered carefully keeping his eyes away from the curious little girl's.

"Do you want to date her?"

"Yes he does." Finn answered for her ignoring his friend's murderous glance.

"Ok then." Beth shrugged happily. "I'll race you too the end of the street." She let go of their hands and sprinted off.

"Stop at the road." Finn called after her before turning to Puck. "Well she seems alright with you fantasising about her mother."

"Not that she will know that I'm fantasising." Puck raised his eyebrows. "She's young and innocent." He paused. "I'll race you."

He sprinted off after Beth while Finn chased after him dodging the people who were coming in the opposite direction.

The three eventually arrived home after a detour though the park where they had stopped for ice cream. While Finn and Puck had decided to inform the girl of the chocolate smear around her mouth she had come to the conclusion that it would be funnier not to tell the two grown men of their own ice cream moustaches and they had also decided not to tell each other.

"You're late home." Quinn called as she heard the sound of the three entering through the shop which was empty at the moment. She smiled as the sound of her daughters giggles floated through to her own ears and the two deep laughs of the men accompanying her.

"We stopped at the park for ice cream." Beth appeared in the kitchen of Puck's back having been piggybacked from the park.

"Thank you." Quinn nodded at him as Finn appeared behind them both. "You didn't have to do that."

"Well we did if we wanted ice cream." Finn pointed out eyes flying round the kitchen taking in the chocolates that had been made by Quinn and Kurt that day.

"Speaking of which you've both got ice cream round your mouths." Quinn bit back the giggles while her daughter didn't even pretend to hide hers and dissolved into giggles as Puck lowered her to the floor.

"How could you not tell me?" The two men turned to each other and spoke in unison while Quinn joined in with her daughter's laughs.

"Have you got ice cream round your mouth again Finn?" The other three appeared as well and Kurt rolled his eyes at his step-brother. "Every time, you think you would have grown out of it by now."

"You think they both would have." Rachel added giving Finn a kiss anyway before sending him and Puck away to clean up.

Ten minutes later the building had calmed down a little as Finn and Rachel had gone for a walk and Blaine and Kurt had volunteered to go to the supermarket to get enough food to last them for a while and Beth was upstairs watching TV leaving Quinn and Puck to tidy up the kitchen.

Quinn had decided to close early that day as she had friends over and it was quiet in the shop anyway after four on a Tuesday. "Does this actually come off?" Puck groaned scrubbing hard at the surface where some chocolate had dropped off the dipping fork, being used to coat truffles, and had set on the surface.

"Use a fork to scrape it off." Quinn advised setting down one plate on the draining board and reaching for the glass bowl to wash.

"You think you'd make less mess seeing as you do this every day." Puck complained.

"I think you'll find Kurt was working there today." Quinn retorted indignantly. "That's my bit." She pointed to the other side of the room which in fact was messier than the one Puck was cleaning.

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Point made."

Quinn stuck her tongue out at him and then flicked water, splashing him with water and bubbles. "Hey." He cried darting over and grabbing his own handful of bubbles and coating her hair in them. A water fight quickly started between them with the washing up forgotten and the water soaking through their clothes and bubbles getting everywhere.

"Got you." Puck grabbed her round the waist spinning her round and off the ground before setting her down. There was silence between them as her arms remained around his neck and his round her waist their faces inches towards each other.

Quinn could feel his breath on her face and felt her cheeks heat up but did not draw away as his lips started to close the distance between his and hers. And then "We're home." Rachel sang cheerfully as the two sprang apart blushing.

"What the hell happened in here?" Rachel asked poking her head round the door and taking in the soaked surfaces, floor and people.

"Water fight." They answered in unison catching each other's eyes and then looking away quickly.

Rachel rolled her eyes and shook her head but her lips twitched into a smile. "Go and get changed; I'll tidy up in here."

"Thanks Rach." Quinn grinned slipping past Puck and up the stairs.

"Cheers." Puck patted her on the shoulder before following the blonde upstairs.

"How come I'm not allowed to have a water fight with you?" Beth glared at her mother who laughed and kissed her forehead before going into her room to change leaving her daughter to the TV and Puck to change in the bathroom.

She closed the door and sunk against it. She had always been careful with men having the policy that it wasn't fair on Beth to get close with someone who might not always be around. She had been on several dates, mainly to stop Santana and Rachel from nagging her, but had only introduced Beth to one man who had been with her for nine months before she had realised he had been cheating on her.

She hadn't coped and immediately Rachel had abandoned her opening night of her new play, Mercedes had dropped work on her album, Brittany had left her dance class to another teacher and Santana had missed several important meetings and the four had converged to help Quinn get over Jesse, look after Beth and help Tina keep the shop going while Mike, Tina's fiancée had gone straight round to Jesse's and given him hell.

Beth had been scared for her mother and Quinn still hated herself for what she had done to her daughter during that time and from then on had vowed that she wouldn't fall for anyone, she wouldn't date. And she had kept her word despite the other's protests.

But then Puck had arrived and she genuinely liked him, he seemed great and Beth loved him. And she was terrified of what would happen.

She shook her head deciding to try and keep a distance from Puck and pulled out a new shirt and pair of jeans tugging them on and dumping her wet clothes in the basket where dirty clothes were kept before they were washed.

She caught sight of the photo she had of her mother and father and bit back a sob. She hadn't spoken to them since she had broken the news that she was pregnant. As devoted Christians they hadn't taken the news well and her parents had chucked her out although after a furious conversation with Santana and Rachel, who could be terrifying when angry, her father had bought her the shop and flat above it under the condition that she would never contact them again.

"Quinn?" Rachel knocked on the door and poked her head round and saw where her friend was looking. "Oh Quinn." She sighed sitting next to her on the bed and wrapping her arm around her shoulder.

"I miss them." Quinn sniffled leaning her head on Rachel's shoulder. "And Beth has no family; she only has me."

"She has us." Rachel reminded her. "You have us, me, Mercedes, Santana, Brittany, Tina, Mike and now you've got Finn, Kurt, Blaine and Puck." There was another choked sob at the sound of Puck's name and Rachel glanced down at her in surprise. "What?"

"I think I like him." Quinn whispered reaching for a tissue. "I don't want too; I don't want a Jesse repeat but I like him, I'm falling for him. We almost kissed and then you came in. I can't like him Rach, I can't do that to Beth again."

Rachel rubbed her arm comfortingly. "You can't do this by yourself forever Quinn. You need someone like Puck to help you and he's a great guy. Not everyone's a Jesse."

"I know." She murmured. "I just don't know what to do."

"See what happens." Rachel advised. "And we're all here for you."

"Thanks."Quinn whispered. "Love you."

"Love you too." Rachel grinned. "Go on, go and look like you've stopped crying and then come and join us."

"Will do." Quinn disappeared into the bathroom and Rachel joined the others.

Quinn reappeared minutes later looking calm and with no sign that she had been crying. Puck and Beth were sat at the dining room table heads bent together as he helped her with her homework at Rachel's insistence. Kurt and Blaine were back and unpacking the shopping while Rachel and Finn were looking through a recipe book trying to decide what to make for dinner that night.

Puck looked up as she entered and sent her a silent question to see whether she was alright. She smiled and nodded at him, glanced over at Beth's homework gave her a hug and then went to help Kurt and Blaine with the shopping as they tried to decide where to put each item of food.

"So how do you spell people?" Puck asked glancing down at the list in front of him. He had helped Beth with her maths homework for the night and was now testing her on the spellings for that week ready for the test on Friday.

"P-E-O-P-L-E." She sounded out and then glanced up at him hoping he was right.

"Brilliant." He ruffled her hair. "You got them all right." He held up his hand for a high five and she slapped her hand against his.

"Will you play cards with me?" Beth asked grabbing a pack from the coffee table as the two moved into the living room.

"Sure- so will Finn." Puck answered as the other man bounded towards them excusing himself from his conversation with Rachel.

She was unable to look miffed as she loved her goddaughter. "Just don't teach her gambling games." She warned them.

Puck waved an impatient hand at her as Finn shuffled the deck and Beth made herself comfortable on a pile of cushions.

"They're going to corrupt that child."Kurt muttered to himself as he joined the other three at the dining room table where they had gathered to talk before dinner staying away from the already loud and competitive game of snap.

"They'd better not." Quinn raised her eyebrow as Finn half jumped off the sofa, slamming his hand down on the table and screaming snap.

"I can't believe he's your brother." Blaine smirked at his boyfriend while Rachel rolled her eyes at Quinn.

"We're not related." Kurt shot back immediately. "Step-brothers- does not mean we share the same blood. And I had no choice in this she's the one who wants to join the family willingly." He pointed at Rachel.

"Hey." Rachel blushed but glared at him. "He's not that bad."

Four heads turned to see Finn and Puck throwing cards at each other and Beth trying to catch them as they fell, completely having missed their target of the bodies they were aiming at. "Oh god they are corrupting her." Quinn sighed as Beth threw one back at Finn.

"Told you." Kurt grinned at her.

"Did you have a good day at school?" Quinn asked from where she sat behind Beth running her towel through her hair to dry it after having watched minutes before.

"Yeah." Beth shook her hair trying to get her mother to stop towelling it roughly. "Alice is having a party this weekend for her birthday can I go?"

"Sure, where is it? What is it?" Quinn asked deciding that her hair was dry enough for the moment.

"It's a fancy dress party at her house." Beth rambled. "It's a Disney theme."

Quinn bit back a groan at the thought of having to make a costume. "Who do you want to go as?"

"I don't know." Beth admitted as Quinn raised an eyebrow; Beth was going through a Disney theme at the moment where she only watched Disney channel, movies, and listened to Disney songs. It was for that reason that Quinn would be singing 'Tale as Old as Time' tonight to send her daughter to sleep.

"We'll talk to Aunty Rachel tomorrow; she'll have lots of ideas and she can help me make it for you." Quinn shelved the issue for the moment. "Come on lie down; time for sleep."

Beth snuggled under her covers and looked up expectantly at her mother and her godmother who had literally just poked her head round the door to say goodnight. "Will you sing with Mommy?" Beth asked the puppy dog eyes coming out to play causing her godmother to cave.

Quinn grinned at Rachel mouthed the song at her as the smaller woman sat down on the chair in the corner of the room while Quinn folded her legs under on the end of the bed and Rachel started the song.

The song ended and Rachel kissed the half asleep girl and then disappeared out leaving Quinn to say goodnight. "Night Beth, love you."

"Love you too Mommy." She whispered her eyes fluttering closed. "I think Puck loves you too."

Quinn froze but her daughter's eyes had closed and she was well on the way to being asleep. Deciding that she hadn't meant anything by it and it was just something that seven year olds said she left the room, flicking the switch off as she left.

_**Thanks for reading- please leave your thoughts, I would love to hear from you. **_

_**Tacxxx**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_**Thanks for all the reviews! i wanted to bring in more of ther other character lives and was feeling in a Klaine mood when writing so this features them heavily. Hope this chapter lives up to expectations- enjoy! **_

While Quinn's couch wasn't the most uncomfortable place he had ever slept Puck still had trouble drifting of and was therefore staring at the ceiling a couple of hours after everyone else had gone to bed.

His thoughts naturally turned to the woman whose house he was staying in. Ever since he had first laid eyes on her he had been attracted to her; at first it had just been physical and then as he had seen how much she cared for her daughter and how well she balanced everything it had become more sincere and he felt himself loving every minute spent in her company so much so that he had even offered to dry up after dinner that evening accompanying her as she washed.

And then there was Beth; the spitting image of her mother only with brunette hair instead. She had instantly taken a liking to him and he was loving his time with her as he and Finn reverted back to their own childhoods while she lived her own.

He turned onto his side restless and desperate to get some sleep seeing as every night he had been there he had spent thinking about the two new people in his life and trying to get comfortable on the couch.

The sound of someone screaming made him bolt upright and on the second scream he was on his feet moving towards Beth's room. Quinn had burst through her own door and had practically vaulted the sofa to get to her daughter.

Finn appeared yawning Rachel grasping his hand both of them looking worried, Blaine was stood opposite them his hair sleep-tousled while Kurt stood behind him the two of them concerned for the little girl.

Puck craned his neck to see Quinn kneeling by her daughter's bed running her hand through her hair to try and calm her, the screaming stopped but the crying began as Beth threw herself into her mother's lap, shaking.

Rachel had moved to stand by Puck by this time and her eyes met Quinn's and she nodded the two of them being able to communicate without having to speak. "Can we do anything?" Kurt whispered winding his arms round Blaine's waist and resting his chin on his shoulder.

"If you don't mind." Rachel whispered. "Beth calms down better if there are more people around, it makes her feel safer."

"This happens often?" Puck stared at her horrified, the look mirrored on the other three males' faces as they moved to sit down.

Rachel nodded sadly as she began to make hot chocolate for them all. "Yeah; she was approached once by some man as she was coming out of school. He tried to get her into his car but several parents managed to stop him and he was arrested. Quinn was running late that day and she's never forgiven herself."

There was a silence that hung in the room engulfing them all before Rachel dropped a spoon on the floor and they all pulled themselves together. Rachel set her tray onto the coffee table as the others reached forward to take a mug.

Rachel joined Finn curling into his side while Blaine was leaning against Kurt's chest as the taller male of the couple leant his back against the arm of the couch. "Thanks." Quinn mouthed at them all appearing holding Beth by the hand tightly.

"Are you alright sweetheart?" Rachel smiled at Beth who had her thumb in her mouth and looked young and vulnerable but she was no longer shaking or crying. She nodded and broke free from her mother and clambered onto Rachel's lap leaning her head against Finn's chest.

Quinn smiled at them both before collapsing in the space next to Puck shaking slightly. He wrapped arm around her pulling her close to him without realising what he was doing. "You alright?" his breath was hot against her ear and she shivered but settled against him.

"I hate that she goes through that." She whispered. "It's not often but it's…" she trailed off and let her head fall against him.

"It's not your fault." Puck reassured her rubbing her arm. Quinn blinked in surprise but them realised that Rachel would have filled them all in while she was calming her daughter.

"I should have been there." Quinn muttered a small smile passing across her face as Rachel began to sing to Beth the girl's eyes drifting close again as she snuggled into Finn and Rachel.

"Nothing actually happened though." Puck dropped a gentle kiss on her forehead. "You're a wonderful mom, don't beat yourself up."

Quinn nodded only half convinced but she was too tired and her own eyes began to close. "We should take them back to bed." Kurt suggested five minutes after the two Fabray's had fallen asleep.

"Yeah." Finn nodded lifting Beth into his arms. "I'll take her into Quinn's room." Puck copied his movements with the older woman as they moved through to her room.

"Puck." He turned about to lower Quinn onto the bed to see Rachel standing in the doorway biting her lip, unsure. "If one of us is here we usually stay with them both after Beth has a nightmare, would you?" She gestured and Puck nodded.

"Of course."

"Thank you." Rachel danced across the room kissed his cheek and then her friend's and goddaughter. She waited for Finn to drop a fatherly kiss on Beth's forehead before the two left. Puck laid Quinn down smiling as Beth subconsciously snuggled into her mother before laying down and wrapping his arms around Quinn pulling the mother and child to him.

And then sleep found him too.

"Puck." He awoke to someone hissing his name and his eyes flew open to see Quinn staring at him amusedly. "I need my arm back."

"Sorry." He withdrew his arm from around her waist. "Where's Beth?"

"Gone to get dressed." Quinn sat up in bed and yawned. "I've got to get her to school."

Puck nodded in understanding and caught her yawn. "Thanks for getting up last night."

"No problem." He replied letting his head fall back on his pillow still tired seeing as he had had little sleep over the past few days. "You needed us and we're here for you."

"Thanks; and for staying here last night." Quinn bit her lip nervously.

"Well Rachel's right; you need someone to take care of you while you take care of Beth." The unspoken issue of her parents hung between them and she knew that he knew what had happened as Rachel had told them all after asking for her permission. "You can't do it all alone."

"Which is when things like…" she added bitterly but Puck sat up in bed and took her hands.

"Don't say that." He snapped gently as she blinked at him in surprise. "It's not your fault; you can't be everywhere; I'm sure everyone tells you this. Quinn you're an amazing mother. I don't know many other people who could raise a child alone with only two close friends living nearby. Things happen but nothing happened to Beth alright. She's fine, more than fine."

Quinn stared at him for so long that he actually blushed which intensified as she leant into kiss his cheek. "Thank you." Her breath was hot against his cheek and her eyes never left his until they were interrupted by a small creature who flung herself onto the bed, dressed.

"We need to leave for school in ten minutes and you're not dressed." She glared at her mother while waving sweetly to Puck who laughed.

Quinn leapt out of bed in a panic. "Give me five minutes, wait I need a shower, have you got…? You need breakfast and lunch."

Puck rolled his eye in her direction. "Relax; I'll supervise breakfast and make sure she has everything while you get ready." Quinn sent him a thankful look before disappearing into her bathroom.

"Breakfast?" Puck swung his legs out of bed and offered his hand to Beth deciding that it would be best not to mention anything that had happened the previous night. "What do you want?"

"Toast please and mommy will have toast too." She answered leaping onto the kitchen table to watch him.

"What about lunch?" He asked his voice muffled through the shirt he had just pulled on to save anyone else the sight of his bare-chest before he could have a shower when Quinn and Beth left for school. She rattled off a list of what she wanted while he frantically gathered food and then started on her sandwich while the toast cooked.

Finn had appeared halfway through Puck's sandwich making and Beth's story of a rabbit and talking flower, muttered a hello before shuffling into the bathroom for a shower. Rachel was still asleep and it was presumed that the other two were as well.

"I'm ready." Quinn appeared dressed in jeans and a white top with a purple cardigan. She accepted the piece of toast Puck handed her, checked with Beth that she had everything while tugging on her boots and then after thanking Puck the two were out the door toast in hand and carrying a variety of bags.

"We're going out for a walk." Kurt yelled to the people dotted over the building. The morning had passed quickly and it was mid-afternoon.

"Do you think you could pick Beth up at 3.30?" Quinn asked poking her head round the door to the shop where the two were standing waiting for a reply.

"Sure." Blaine replied glancing at his watch and rolling his eyes as Finn and Puck, who were managing the shop which was currently empty, throwing a football at each other and ignoring the dirty looks Quinn was giving them.

"Let's go." Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand and tugged him out of the door impatiently.

They spent the time they had free wandering around the town Kurt dragging Blaine into various shops before the smaller man put his foot down and set them off at a quick march so they could get to the school on time.

"You see we didn't have to run." Kurt glared at his boyfriend as they stood waiting with other adults waiting for the children. "They're not even out yet."

"Doesn't hurt to be early." Blaine defended himself.

"You're always early." Kurt sighed. "Like freakishly early." Blaine narrowed his eyes at him and then at Kurt's amused face relented and pulled him into a kiss.

"Excuse me." A hard voice made them spring apart and turn to face a tall woman with a cold sneer on her face.

The sound of people arriving home in silence alerted the four remaining adults that something had happened. Finn came round from behind the counter moving immediately to his step-brother who looked near tears.

Rachel and Quinn appeared from the kitchen with Puck behind them irritated looks on the girls' faces as Puck had been bugging them as they worked. Beth ran to her mother immediately who knelt down by her side and wrapped an arm around her.

"What happened?" Rachel asked breaking the silence. Kurt shook his head biting his lip, Blaine was staring at the floor and the others weren't entirely sure that he had heard them.

"There was a woman in the playground being rude to Uncle Kurt and Uncle Blaine." Beth told them her arm curled around her mother tightly having adopted all the new men in her life as uncles apart from Puck who she had asked what she should call him and he told her anything but uncle.

"She said they shouldn't love each other." She was near tears at this statement and looked up at her mother. "That it was wrong; but it's not mommy." Her voice was now firm. "Love isn't wrong, mommy why are some people so rude. Mommy it's not fair."

"I know sweetheart." Quinn soothed stroking her hair. "Some people are just horrible." She glanced up at the other four and decided that they would be better equipped to deal with Blaine and Kurt. "Come on you can help me in the kitchen." This cheered Beth up and she took her mother's hand and trotted into the kitchen.

As soon as the door closed behind her the two fell apart. Having lived in New York for so long they had both forgotten that there were some areas and people who could be so narrow-minded. And neither of them coped particularly well in those situations especially as Blaine's parents had cut contact with him since he came out. And all the memories came back for Kurt of his time in high school.

Finn slung his arm round Kurt's shoulder and steered him upstairs to the apartment while Puck gingerly laid a hand on Blaine's shoulder and ushered him upstairs.

"Are you alright?" Finn asked sitting on the coffee table opposite the sofa he had just pushed Kurt onto. Blaine sat down heavily next to him while Puck hovered cautiously behind the sofa; Rachel had stayed behind and joined Quinn and Beth in the kitchen.

"What do you think?" Kurt snapped at his step-brother who flinched slightly at the harsh tone still unused to his brother's snappiness when he was upset.

"Sorry." Finn muttered looking away and studying the floor intently.

"You shouldn't let people like that get to you." Puck offered gingerly; he saw Kurt whip his head round to face him and give some bitter retort and so carried on quickly. "They're just narrow-minded people who can't accept love."

Kurt calmed down slightly at the last statement although Finn suspected that if it had been him saying that Kurt may not have calmed as quickly. But Puck wasn't as close to Kurt and what he had said was so out of character that he subsided onto the sofa.

"Thank you." He whispered to Puck risking a glance at Blaine who was white and frozen in his place. Neither Puck nor Finn would have been able to reach Blaine and so they had to calm Kurt in order for anything to happen. Puck shrugged and looked away embarrassed.

"We love you two." Finn added reaching forward to give his brother a short but firm hug before Kurt stood up and took Blaine's hand leading him to their bedroom.

Once the door shut Blaine threw himself onto the bed lying face down and his shoulders shaking. Kurt leant against the door watching him his heart aching for his boyfriend who was still suffering from the abandonment of his parents.

"Blaine." He whispered softly sitting down slowly next to him and running a gentle hand through his hair to soothe him.

"That woman was like my mother." Blaine rolled onto his back and rested his head in Kurt's lap looking up at him from a tearstained face. "What she said to us was exactly what she said to me the night she and Dad threw me out."

Kurt kept a carefully neutral face; Blaine had never told him about that part of his life only that it had happened. He knew that Blaine had gone to his sister who had moved out the year before after she returned from college.

"She even looked like her." Blaine bit his lip and curled into himself absently running his hand over his arm where Kurt knew a scar ran from his shoulder to his elbow. "And she said that she didn't love me anymore and then Dad threw me into the wall."

Kurt remained silent his mind trying to work out which 'she' Blaine was talking about as he switched between that day and his late teens. And then gasped as the full impact of what Blaine had just said hit him. "I'm so sorry Blaine." He pulled Blaine up so the smaller man was sitting and then lifted him into his lap.

"Don't be sorry." Blaine's voice was muffled against Kurt's chest. "It's not your fault."

Kurt said nothing and let Blaine cry as his hands ran up and down his back soothingly. "I miss her." Blaine muttered eventually.

"Your mom?" Kurt asked cautiously.

Blaine drew back to look at him. "Well yeah, her and Dad but I meant Laura." He was talking about his sister. "She was the only one who stood up for me against mom and dad when I told them and also she tried to get the school to do something when I was being bullied. She loved me, she actually cared what happened to me. And now she's gone and no one cares."

He was crying again and clutching Kurt to him as though he was the one thing keeping him in reality. But Kurt had stiffened and was fighting back tears too although his were angry tears. "How can you say that?" He snapped.

"What?"

"Laura might be gone but that doesn't mean no one cares." Kurt had raised his voice and made no attempt to lower it as he heard muffled voices outside the door wondering whether they should intervene.

"Finn, Puck, Rachel, Wes, David, Nick, Jeff, Carol, Dad, Quinn and Beth all care about you; did you not listen to how Beth lectured that woman when she heard what she was saying. I've never seen a seven year old so mad. All our friends care about you, we all love you. I love you Blaine, I care about you more than anyone else. You can't say that no one cares, you just can't."

He stood up sharply Blaine tumbling onto the bed staring at him in shock. Kurt stormed towards the door hot angry tears falling. "I'm sorry." Blaine whispered but it fell on deaf ears as Kurt slammed the door behind him falling into Finn's arms while Blaine curled in on himself shaking violently.

**_Thanks for reading- hope you enjoyed. _**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

_**Thanks so much for all the feedback- reviews make my day! Enjoy**_

"Quinn." Puck burst into the kitchen. The blonde looked up startled from her position sitting at the large wooden table watching Beth and Rachel sing together.

"What?" she asked as the other two stopped their song.

"Blaine…Kurt…fight... can you talk to Blaine?"

"I barely know him. I don't think I'm the best person to talk to him." She protested as Puck seized her hand and pulled her upwards.

"His parents don't talk to him like yours don't. Please Quinn you actually understand." Puck pleaded with her while Beth was staring at them confused and Rachel was looking worried. Quinn nodded slowly letting Puck take her upstairs as Rachel started singing again to get Beth to take her mind of the adult drama surrounding her.

"He's in his room." Puck muttered in her ear his mouth very close to her and she shivered before mentally reprimanding herself as now was not the time to have a flirty moment with Puck. She glanced at her couch where Finn sat his arm around his brother who was brokenly ranting at Blaine stopping in tears every so often.

She knocked lightly on the door but received no answer. She looked back at Puck who sent her a reassuring smile and gestured for her to go in. She took a deep breath before twisting the handle and entering her spare bedroom.

Having expected to not know what to do upon seeing Blaine Quinn found her maternal instincts taking over as she saw him curled up on the bed his breath coming in short gasps as his body shook with sobs. "Oh Blaine." She sighed sitting down next to him and laying her hand on his shoulder.

He looked up at her and then sat by throwing his arms around her. Her arms went around him and she began to rock his as she rocked Beth when she was upset. "What happened" She whispered gently as his sobs quietened.

His eyes met hers and then he settled back against the pillows leaning his head on her shoulder. "My parents chucked me out when I came out to them; my sister had just finished college and I moved in with her."

He stopped and closed his eyes unconsciously tensing and Quinn squeezed his hand tightly. "They still don't talk to me even after Laura and James, her son, died. They didn't even come to her funeral; they'd stopped talking to her after she became pregnant."

He shuddered his eyes straying to the door behind which Kurt sat with Finn. "My parents threw me out too when I became pregnant." Quinn told him quietly her voice cutting through the silence that had grown between them.

Blaine stared at her. "They still don't talk to me either; I took Beth round to see them when she was three months and they slammed the door in her face." it was worse to her, Blaine could see, that they had ignored their grandchild rather than their own daughter.

He could think of nothing more to say to this but felt more accepting of his life now that he and his sister hadn't been the only ones rejected by their family. Now that he actually knew someone who understood.

"What happened with Kurt?" Quinn asked steering the stilted conversation towards the argument she was supposed to help fix.

"We got into an argument over what happened this afternoon and one thing led to another and I said that no one cared about me." He was staring at the end of the bed now shame written across his face as he recalled what had happened.

Quinn heaved a silent sigh and wondered how to approach this. She knew from his tone and facial expression that he knew what he said was wrong and he was ashamed, he also knew that it wasn't true and so there was no point in telling him all this.

"People say things they don't mean when they're angry and upset." Quinn started carefully. "You need to talk to Kurt and apologise." She glanced at his face and added. "Now."

Blaine nodded and swung his feet off the bed. "Thank you." He leant down to kiss her cheek before disappearing out the door. Quinn strained her ears but could nothing more than a rumble of voices as the door shut behind Blaine and then gave up slumping back against the pillows.

The arrival of her best friend and her friends had evidently caused chaos in her and Beth lives but she wouldn't have it any other way. She enjoyed Kurt's company, Finn was perfect for Rachel, she had created a bond with Blaine that she had with no one else, and her feelings were rapidly developing for Puck which was exciting although terrifying and she loved spending time with her best friend.

By the time Quinn emerged from the spare room Finn and Puck were nowhere to be seen and Blaine and Kurt were tangled together on the couch the tender silence between them speaking volumes. Quinn smiled to herself and moved to go downstairs catching Kurt's eye as she did and nodded as he mouthed a thank you at her.

"What are you doing?" Quinn's hands through to her hips as she stared between Beth and Puck who were crouched together in the kitchen hats made out of paper sitting precariously on their heads.

"Ssh." Beth glared at her mother and tugged her down so that she too was concealed behind the counter. As she crouched down between the two she saw a bowl of oranges sitting beside Beth.

"We're at war." Puck informed her solemnly a smirk playing at his lips. "Finn and Rachel are in the other room." He gestured to the room where the packaging was created for the chocolates.

"Oranges are our weapons." Beth told her rolling one along the ground to Puck and then Quinn. "And out hats show our team; Aunty Rachel and Uncle Finn have team hats too."

"You look great." Quinn complimented them both and the faltered as Puck threw a orange up and caught it. "My supply of oranges is going to be depleted isn't it?"

"Yep." Puck nodded high fiving Beth.

"You are such a bad influence." Quinn mock glared at Puck who held his hands up in surrender.

"It was Finn's idea."

"Three, two, one!" Beth yelled suddenly making her mother jump. "Fire." Puck and Beth leapt to their feet launching oranges into the air as two more flew through the air, one hitting the wall and the other Puck's head.

"Mom." Beth shrieked forcing Quinn onto her feet and throwing her own orange at Rachel who grinned at her before she ducked back down again to dodge the orange Rachel lobbed at her.

"You better pay me back for these oranges Rach." Quinn yelled. "I blame you for this." She whipped her head back and an orange darted past her head.

"It wasn't my idea." The small brunette protested.

"You could have stopped these three though." Quinn pointed out high fiving Puck who offered a hand to her as he hit Finn.

"Bastard. Finn yelled at Puck as Quinn slapped her hands over Beth's ears while Rachel threw an orange at Finn and warned him about his language.

Eventually there were no oranges left and the five had collapsed in giggles, Quinn's were partly from despair at the sight of her precious kitchen covered in the juice and segments of her now destroyed orange supplies that she had been planning on using to flavour chocolate.

But taking one look at her giggling daughter and Puck grinning at her both of them covered in orange that she knew that it had been worth it.

"What have you been doing?" Kurt stared at the five people who had just emerged into the living room having finished their war and then at Rachel and Quinn's insistence they had cleaned the kitchen up.

"Nice hat." Blaine nodded towards Puck who had somehow managed to keep the blue paper hit stuck to his head, the others having lost their ones quickly.

Puck scowled at him and whipped it off his head quickly plonking it on Finn's who merely grinned. "We had an orange war." Beth chirped at the two who had missed out on the fun. "You should have been there." She hugged Kurt quickly while the others tried to conceal their sniggers at Kurt's disgusted face of the sticky orange fingers meeting his designer clothes.

"Come on Beth let's get cleaned up." Quinn tugged her daughter away as Kurt and Blaine smiled at each other glad that Beth hadn't been too upset by what she had seen that afternoon.

"So what happened?" Kurt raised his eyebrows at his brother.

"We had a fight with oranges; the kitchen got pretty messed up." Finn admitted shrugging his shoulders unconcerned as Rachel flung her arm out to stop him from sitting on the sofa.

"How much of a mess is it down there?" Kurt sighed already foreseeing himself aiding in cleaning up a mess he had not created.

"We cleaned it up." Puck nodded splashing some water at Finn from where they both now stood washing their hands.

"You cleaned something up." Blaine stared at him in disbelief not at all phased by the scowl Puck threw this way.

"Only because Quinn asked him too." Rachel smirked ducking behind Finn as Puck flicked more water at her. "Quinn won't be impressed if we soak her apartment." She warned.

Puck stopped immediately. "You've got it bad." Kurt stared at him the amusement evident on his face.

"You've never looked as likely to settle down with anyone as you have with Quinn and you're so good with Beth." Rachel agreed with Kurt. "She loves you."

Puck stared at her and then gave a barely perceptible nod. "Which one?"

"Both." Rachel grinned at him taking Finn's hand and dragging him into their room so they could change their clothes and clean themselves up.

"Really?" Puck asked half to thin air and half to the other two men in the room.

"You can use our bathroom." Blaine clapped him on the shoulder and pushed him gently towards the room he was sharing with Kurt. "And yes really."

"I can see why you like visiting Quinn and Beth." Finn started pulling a clean t-shirt out of a drawer. "I don't think you'll be coming to stay with them alone again. I think me, Kurt, Blaine and Puck will be tagging along again."

"I don't know if Puck will be; we might be visiting him here soon." Rachel had changed by now and sat down on the bed.

"True." Finn nodded sitting down behind her. "If they can actually act on their feelings and get together and keep it going for a few months long distance then Puck might be moving down here within a year." He wrapped his arms around her drawing her back against his chest.

"They remind me of us when we first met." Rachel admitted with a nostalgic sigh leaning her head on his shoulder and snuggling into his chest.

"And I think we're at that stage." Finn rested his head on hers.

"What stage?" Rachel's brow furrowed as she tried to translate Finn's sentence.

"This stage." Finn kissed her cheek and took a deep breath before blurting out. "I love you."

Rachel felt a smile spread across her face as she heard the words she had been waiting to hear for what seemed like eternity. "I love you too." He breathed kissing her corner of her mouth before her arms snaked around his neck and drew him into a passionate kiss.

"Will you move in with me?" Finn asked breathlessly as they drew apart still entwined.

"Really?" Rachel squealed.

"I asked your Dads and they said yes; they're really happy for us." Finn rambled nervously. "But if you don't want too then that's fine as long we're still together."

"Finn." Rachel cut him off. "I'd love too; I love you."

"Really?" Finn unconsciously mimicked Rachel's tone previously.

"Really."

"They're taking a long time changing." Quinn broke off from her explanation of addition of two and three digit numbers.

"Do you really think they're changing?" Puck waggled his eyebrows at her and Quinn chucked a pencil at his head laughing while Kurt threw a cushion at him and Blaine sniggered to himself.

"What would they be doing mommy?" Beth asked looking up from her maths book.

"Never you mind." Quinn ruffled her hair. "You've done that one wrong." She pointed to the sum Beth had just completed. "Five plus seven isn't eleven."

"It's twelve." Beth corrected looking around for her rubber.

"FInnsaidhelovedmewe'removingintogether." Rachel came bursting out of the room vaulted the back of the sofa and collapsing next to Quinn.

"Ohmygod." Quinn squealed already well versed in the quick tongue of Rachel Berry. "Congratulations."

"What are they talking about?" Beth asked looking to Puck who shrugged admitting that he had no idea. He caught sight of Finn loitering in the doorway grinning happily.

"I asked her to move in with me and I told her I loved her and she loves me." Finn explained coming to join them while the two grown women continued to squeal happily while Beth joined in not entirely understanding.

"Congratulations dude." Puck offered his fist to Finn while Kurt let a squeal rip to rival Quinn's. "Jesus Hummel." He winced as the sound hit his ears.

"Knew you'd man up and tell her." Kurt flung his arms around his brother briefly. "I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks." Finn hugged him back and then took the risk of ruffling Kurt's hair and receiving a pillow in the face in return.

"Good luck living with her." Blaine smirked inclining his head at Rachel who was holding Beth's hands the two of them spinning around.

"I heard that Anderson." Rachel stuck her tongue out at him.

"Congratulations though." Blaine offered to them both receiving a smile from Rachel and a nod from Finn.

"You'll take good care of her won't you?" Quinn whispered kissing Finn's cheek. He nodded realising that this was not a question and she was deadly serious.

"I'm going to go and call the others." Rachel announced as Beth collapsed back onto the sofa curling up next to her mother breathless from the spinning.

"Send my love." Quinn called as the brunette retreated into the bedroom.

"Why do girls always feel the need to call everyone when something happens?" Puck asked sliding over closer to Quinn to make room for Finn to sit down on the increasingly cramped sofa. Quinn raised a delicate eyebrow at him. "I mean whenever a guy asks you out, tell you he loves you, you sleep together, after dates, job promotions, shopping trips, holidays, day trips you always phone each other."

"We need to talk things over with each other, share these things, and talk about what it means." Quinn listed off several reasons. "Just because guys don't share feelings and experiences with each other doesn't mean we can't."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Finn snorted. "I spent a lot of my teenage years listening to Kurt gossiping with his friends about life and how they felt."

"And sometimes you joined in." Kurt retorted sticking his tongue out at his brother who blushed.

"Seriously dude?" Puck looked disbelieving and slightly disapproving although his expression quickly changed as Quinn elbowed him sharply.

"You talk to me about things like that." Finn shot back. "Sometimes."

Puck scowled at him while the others laughed. "Do you want me to read to you, Beth?"

"Quick change of subject." Blaine teased. "Does that mean you have these conversations often?" Puck pointedly ignored him as Beth handed him the book and clambered into his lap to listen.

"She's got him wrapped round her little finger." Kurt stared in amazement.

"She's got everyone wrapped round her little finger." Quinn sighed. "What do people want to do for dinner?"

**_Thanks for reading- please review! _**

**_Tacxxx_**


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter Six **_

_First of all an apology- this chapter was supposed to be up last week but I forgot and kept forgetting until I was in a place where I couldn't update and then I remembered only to forget when I got home- so sorry! Thank you for all the support you guys have given me- you guys are the best! _

_Enjoy _

"When did you open this shop?" Puck asked accepting the mug of hot chocolate Quinn offered him; the others had all retired to bed early leaving the two to enjoy the evening together.

"Rachel and Santana forced my parents to buy this for me when they threw me out when I was pregnant with Beth when I finished college." Quinn sat down next to him crossing her legs under her. "I had no idea what to do with my life so I temped in café for ages where I met Tina and we decided that we could do this. Tina's always been good at the business side of things and I've been making chocolates since about eight when my mum taught me."

"Why did your parents throw you out?" He was treading on dangerous ground he knew and wasn't sure how she would react.

"They're very Christian." Quinn explained sipping her drink although he didn't fail to see her grip on her mug tighten. "And being pregnant outside of a marriage was about the biggest sin I could commit especially as I wasn't even in a relationship."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." She waved it away effortlessly clearly having heard this many times before. "You're Jewish aren't you?"

"Yeah but not a very committed one." He admitted slightly sheepishly. "I guess I kind of gave up on all that when my dad left us; didn't seem very fair and I kind of stopped believing, my mom and sister are though."

"I didn't know your dad left you?" Quinn sounded surprised but was evidently feeling comfortable with the situation and leant her head against his shoulder.

"When I was seven…"

"Beth's age." Quinn breathed softly out of instinct more and waved him on as he paused.

"He left to go and try and be a rockstar and never came back; mom never heard from him again." His voice hardened at the end and she squeezed his hand gently.

"So when did you meet Finn?" She changed the subject to a lighter one and was rewarded with a genuine grin.

"When we were ten, he was new to the area and he joined my class. And my friend Sam dragged him along to football and we were partnered together."

"And the chaos began." Quinn teased; he gave her an innocent look. "I've heard stories from Rach; paint on top of her front door so when she opened it she was coated in green."

"And she didn't talk to Finn for a week." Puck snickered as Quinn smacked his arm. "What a drama queen!"

"She's not that bad." Quinn defended her before erupting into giggles as Puck gave her a pointed look. "Ok she is; a week's nothing; she and Santana didn't talk for a month in senior year over a song choice in glee club."

"You were in glee club?"

"Yeah; losers of the school but we loved it, especially Rachel well only when she got the solos."

"You were losers because you were in glee club?" Puck sounded surprised. "They were like top of the food chain in our school."

"Yeah got slushied everyday for it, only recognition we got. Where you in glee club then?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"You look someone who would be at the top of the school." She snorted.

"Thank you." He took on a posh tone and bowed his head at the compliment as they both laughed. "What do you mean slushied?"

"We got slushies in the face every day, you know the ice drinks. Just a status of our loserness."

"You're not a loser." Puck changed to a more serious voice. "You're beautiful, a wonderful mother and person and a great singer."

"Thank you;" Quinn blushed shyly at the compliment and ignored his attempts to catch her eye until something about what he had said had caught her attention and she focused in on that. "When have you heard me sing?"

It was Puck's turn to blush. "I heard you singing to Beth when you put her to bed; you've got a beautiful voice."

"Thank you." she smiled at him meeting his eyes shyly. "Do you still sing now?"

"Yeah; often Rach drags the four of us into rehearsing with her for her shows and Finn and I started a band with our friends Sam and Artie."

"Wow." Quinn sounded impressed. "Do you play anything then?"

"Guitar; so do Artie and Sam, Finn plays the drums."

"Do you do gigs and things?" She asked curiously curling into his side as her exhaustion hit her, she was too tired to care about the fact she had only known him for a few days.

"Yeah; whenever we can in bars and places; you'll have to come up and hear us."

"That'd be great; we're coming up to stay Rachel, and I guess now Finn, in the summer to see her in her new show." She yawned again and felt her eyelids drooping.

Five minutes later they were both asleep.

"Do you think we should wake them up?" Beth whispered loudly while Rachel shushed her. The five stood in front of the couch where Puck and Quinn were still asleep. Beth had woken up and decided to go and get her mother up too when she had spotted the two and woken the other four instead.

"No; they look cute and I think they both need some sleep too." Rachel whispered as Puck shifted slightly but stayed asleep. He had slumped into a lying position and Quinn had gone with him, using his shoulder as a pillow, and both his arms were around her.

"I'll get you ready for school and we'll all go out for breakfast and then go onto school. Go and get changed and we'll buy you lunch. Is your bag packed?" Beth nodded as they scattered to get themselves sorted.

The two must have been tired as in ten minutes the door was closed behind them a note left on the table and Beth took Finn and Kurt's hands and dragged them down the stairs while Blaine and Rachel set a more gentle pace, Blaine carrying the school bag.

"Where are we going for breakfast?" Beth asked as they stepped out into street.

"Emma's?" Rachel asked receiving an enthusiastic nod. It was only a short walk away and also on the way to the school and so it was an ideal location and Emma knew them both well.

"Emma!" Beth burst into the café and was swept into a hug by the ginger.

"Beth." She greeted. "What have you done with your mother?" she asked straightening back up and taking in her company mouthing a hello at Rachel.

"She's sleeping with Puck?" Beth informed her while Finn and Blaine stifled their laughter as Emma's eyebrows shot up.

"Just sleeping." Rachel reassured. "Puck's Finn's best friend." She gestured to the tall man laughing. "They were up late last night talking and fell asleep on the couch."

"Aww." Emma smiled. "Do we think something's going to happen?"

"We do." Kurt stepped forward and so the introductions began while Beth wandered over to a table, choosing her seat and then started to read the menu to make her choice for her breakfast. Eventually the five were seated around the table.

"How can you eat such a lot?" Kurt shook his head in exasperation at his brother who was shovelling mouthfuls of pancake into his mouth with a stack on his plate.

"How can you eat so little?" Finn countered casting a dark look at Kurt's fruit salad and then stealing a piece of Blaine's bacon who shook his head smiling at the brotherly banter.

"Every time." Rachel sighed laughing with Blaine while Kurt accused Finn of having a bad influence over Beth who was chewing happily on chocolate chip pancakes. "You think they'd have learnt to let it go by now; every meal time they try to understand the other's eating habits."

"It does get a bit repetitive." Blaine agreed and then smiled sweetly at Kurt who glared at him having heard the comment.

"Why were Mommy and Puck sleeping on the couch?" Beth interrupted before an argument could break out.

"They were talking there last night and probably just fell asleep." Rachel replied taking a sip of coffee.

"Do you think Puck will become my Daddy?" The others looked up sharply surprised that she had taken that much notice of the flirting between the two and their own side comments and conversations.

"Why do you say that?" Kurt asked carefully.

"Cos Mommy loves him and he loves her back." Beth explained in the tone of someone speaking to a three year old. "It's the same way you and Uncle Blaine and Aunty Rachel and Uncle Finn look each other. And Aunty Brittany and Santana and Uncle Mike and Aunty Tina."

"How many Uncles and Aunts does she have?" Finn whispered to Rachel.

"Anyone who is close to her." Rachel whispered back.

"You're very observant for a seven year old." Blaine commented to the school girl who shrugged. Being an only child and with a very busy mother she was often content to just watch people especially those she knew.

"We should get you to school?" Rachel broke up the conversation sending a proud look Beth's way. Beth smiled at her and bounced off her seat as Rachel went to pay the bill.

"How can she like school that much?" Finn muttered to Kurt as Beth grabbed Blaine's hand dragging him out the shop meeting up with Rachel at the door, the two brothers following at a more leisurely pace.

"It's because she's clever." Kurt smirked. "Not all of us struggled with the five times table." Finn scowled at him and jogged to catch up with people who had yet to hear one of his mother's favourite embarrassing stories.

The sunlight bouncing off the ceiling awoke Puck and he attempted to sit up but was prevented by the body curled up next to him. Quinn's head was lying on his shoulder her hair streamed out around her head and in his opinion had never looked more beautiful.

The slight movement of his own awakening led to Quinn waking too and her eyes flew open blearily gazing at Puck. "Morning." She mumbled sleepily.

"Morning." He smiled back releasing her from his grip so they could both sit up.

"Shit!" Quinn yelped as her eyes fell on the clock. "Beth's late for school." She attempted to scramble to her feet but ended up sprawled across Puck's chest who was now regarding her with an amused look on his face.

"I think they've taken her; it doesn't sound as if anyone else is in." Quinn stopped, listening and then nodded. She finally managed to get off the couch and wandered over to the kitchen.

"You're right." She called as he stood up stretching. "Rach left a note; they took Beth out for breakfast and to school."

"You see you can relax."

"Not really; I've got a shop to open." She told him rolling her eyes. "I'm going to shower and change."

"Me too." Puck agreed gathering things and moving in the direction towards the bathroom that Finn and Rachel were using. "Then we can have breakfast and I'll open the shop while you start in the kitchen."

Quinn stopped at her bedroom door and smiled at him. "Thank you."

"We're back." Rachel sung bursting into the shop earning a rolling of the eyes from Puck who was serving a customer who gave her an odd look.

"Morning." Finn smirked at his best friend stepping aside to let the customer pass out the shop. "Sleep well?"

"Fine thank you." Puck chose not to rise to the teasing. "Now get your ass over here to help me. Quinn's out the back." He told the others.

"Good morning." Rachel grinned at her best friend.

"Morning." Quinn ignored the teasing look on Rachel's face and slung an apron at her instead. "Thank you for taking Beth to breakfast and school."

"No problem." Blaine shrugged. "What can we do to help?" The kitchen already looked chaotic with ingredients and equipment everywhere but in reality it was incredibly organised. Quinn smiled gratefully at him and set the three of them to work.

"So what was up with you and Quinn last night?" Finn asked hoisting himself to sit up on the counter. In the middle of the morning of a weekday the shop was hardly busy and so he was taking the opportunity to question Puck over the night before.

"Nothing." He waved the question away pretending to be very interested in the newspaper Blaine had bought earlier that morning.

"So why are you blushing?" Finn refused to comply his with his friend's obvious wish to drop the subject instead opting to question more.

"I'm not." Puck denied weakly turning his back to Finn so his red cheeks could no longer be seen.

"You like her." Finn crowed triumphantly while Puck rolled his eyes.

"Haven't we been over this?" He snapped.

"Not in so many words." Finn was used to the tone of voice and let it slide. "I'm just a very observant person; it's obvious even Beth's realised."

That got his attention and he lowered the paper and whipped his head round to face Finn. "Beth?"

"Yeah she said this morning at breakfast. You're not exactly subtle when it comes to falling in love."

"I am not falling in love." Puck glared. "I just like her." There was an expectant pause in which Finn raised his eyebrows and folded his arms. "A lot." Puck sighed relenting. "Not that she feels that way."

Finn gave him an exasperated look wondering if their roles had been reversed not being used to being the more intelligent one. "Are you blind?" He demanded. "She's so obviously falling for you; every conversation you have is a basically flirting, she trusts you, you've gone to sleep together twice. And Beth thinks she likes you. That girl is way too observant." He muttered as an aside.

Puck remained silent mulling things over and slightly unused to being the one receiving advice on girls. "So are you going to do something?"

"Do something about what?" Quinn appeared in the doorway through that linked the kitchen and the shop.

"Nothing." The two answered together and then Finn sniggered as the two met each other's eyes and blushed. "What have you got there?" Finn asked looking at the box in Quinn's arms.

"Raspberry Truffles." She answered setting it down on the counter and nudging Finn off. "Can you shelf them over there." She nodded her head in the direction she wanted.

"Sure." Puck ripped the box open and taking several bags over to the shelves walking past Quinn without even a glance in her direction. She looked hurt as he passed, sent Finn a small smile in response to the concerned look he sent her and disappeared back to the kitchen.

"What was that about?" Finn snapped once the door had shut behind Quinn.

"Nothing." He replied sharply shoving chocolates onto the shelf with more violence than necessary. Finn rolled his eyes but let the subject drop resolving to bring it back up if Puck continued with the temperamental behaviour.

"I still need a costume for Alice's party." Beth reminded her mother that evening as she sat around the table eating dinner. They had all squeezed round the table and scheming on Rachel and Kurt's part had forced Quinn and Puck to sit next to each other in such close proximity that their elbows brushed every time they moved.

While Quinn had tried to make conversation with him he had shot down all attempts with one word answers refusing to meet her eyes until she eventually gave up and ate her chicken in silence. The tension between the two had grown increasingly so that the others were finding it hard to keep the momentum of the conversation.

Quinn's head snapped up and she broke away from her internal monologue discussing Puck's sudden shift in behaviour. "That's tomorrow isn't it?" She groaned. "I completely forgot about that."

"What are we going to do?" Beth was starting to panic now. "We need to buy her a birthday present too."

"And all the shops are closed on Friday night now." Quinn sighed glancing at the fridge where the invitation was casually stuck. "Although we can get her something tomorrow morning; you don't have to be there until two."

"What are you going as?" Finn asked through a mouthful of food earning a disgusted look from Rachel and a kick under the table from Kurt.

"I don't know." Beth wailed swallowing her last mouthful and dropping her cutlery down on her plate with a loud clatter. Quinn sent Rachel a desperate look and she quickly stepped in.

"How about you go as one of the Disney princesses."

"But everyone's going as one of them." She protested looking on the verge of tears.

"Someone from Harry Potter?"

"What about someone from the Narnia series." Her mother suggested as Beth pulled a face at the Harry Potter suggestion; although she loved the series none of the characters were very exciting to dress up as.

"I could go as Mrs Beaver." Her face lit up at the thought.

"I don't know if I can make a Mrs Beaver costume." Quinn bit her lip not wanting to disappoint her but seeing no other way; her creative skills were not that good and no shop in Lima would sell a beaver costume.

Beth's face fell immediately until Kurt spoke. "I can."

"Thank you Uncle Kurt." Beth squealed throwing her arms around him knocking a glass of water over at the same time which Finn caught effortlessly before it hit the floor and smashed.

"Are you sure?" Quinn asked quietly standing up to get a cloth to wipe away the water.

"I'd love too." Kurt assured her laughing as Beth rambled on to thin air about how amazing it would be.

"You should see him with a sewing machine." Blaine laughed. "Sometimes I think he loves it more than he loves me." Kurt raised an eyebrow while Puck snorted quietly.

"I don't think you'll love mine; it's ancient." Quinn sighed. "You might not get far."

"So is mom's." Finn added. "And Kurt made his prom outfit on it."

Rachel and Quinn stared at him impressed. Kurt merely shrugged waving off their amazement. "What can I say I'm a man of many talents."

_Thanks for reading- hope you're all having a good beginning of summer (or whatever season it is where you are). Please leave your thoughts and I will do my best to have the next chapter up next Sunday- it's written. _

_Thanks- Tacxxx_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 8**

_**Again I apologise for the late update but my life is seriously hetic what with uni open days, school work and the end of term stuff going on- so much to do! So sorry! **_

_**This is the last chapter of this story so enjoy! **_

"_What's going on with you and Puck?" Rachel asked as the two females walked home having just dropped off a beaver at her party. _

"_I don't know." Quinn sighed. "Everything was going so well; I thought he liked me and then suddenly he won't look at me or talk to me or anything." _

"_I know; the tension between you two last night and this morning was so thick even Finn picked up on it." _

"_Do you think I did something wrong?" Quinn asked concerned; she had shut the shop for the day while she, Rachel and Finn had shopped for a birthday present for Beth to give Alice while the little girl had stayed behind for fittings for her costume with Kurt and Blaine and Puck. _

"_I doubt it." Rachel assured her as they stopped at the edge of the road waiting for the lights to change. "I'll get Finn to talk to him; see if he can figure what's up." _

"_Thanks." Quinn sent her a small smile. "I really thought something would happen." _

"_You like him then?" Quinn sent her a withering look and she smirked. "Just checking." She held her hands up in defence and the blonde rolled her eyes. _

"_Do you think I'm stupid?" Rachel raised an eyebrow silently questioning what Quinn was talking about. "I mean nothing could really happen in the long term; I live in Lima and he lives in New York." _

"_Doesn't mean nothing could happen." Rachel pointed out. "Puck could always move down here or you up to New York." _

"_I have the shop." Quinn pointed out. "I couldn't just leave Tina or force her and Mike to move to New York to start the shop again there." _

"_Puck might move down here though; he could get a job down here. He's always whining about how he wants to quit his job and I know he'd love to teach especially a glee club." _

"_You can't plan his life out for him Rach; he has friends up there. I couldn't just ask him to leave." Quinn sighed heavily. "Besides the way he's acting I don't think anything will even happen." _

"_But…" Rachel protested. _

"_Can we just drop it?" Quinn snapped and Rachel subsided. "I spoke to Mercedes this morning; is the Sam she's dating Puck and Finn's friend." _

_Rachel nodded. "Yeah; you'd like him and they're really cute together. I've never seen her so happy with someone before." Quinn grinned pleased for her friend who had always been the one out of them all who had struggled with having a boyfriend during their high school years. "Although he and Santana took a little while to get along when she and Brittany came to New York for the week."_

"_Well it takes Santana a little while to get along with anyone." Quinn smirked. "You should have seen it when she and Tina first met. You thought there was tension between me and Puck this morning. It's alright they get along really well now." She caught sight of Rachel's alarmed look. _

_While Tina would never replace Quinn's best friends the two were very close and therefore, it was important to Quinn that they all got along. Mercedes, Tina and Rachel had gotten along so well when they met that Quinn had almost felt left out and they kept in touch as friends not through Quinn. _

"_Ready to face the music?" Rachel smirked at Quinn as they entered the shop. Quinn scowled at her and stormed ahead up the stairs determined to ignore Puck. _

_The door banged open swinging violent on its hinges and almost hitting Rachel in the face as she followed Quinn. "Beth get there ok?" Blaine asked turning his head away from the football game he was watching with Finn and Puck, Kurt was sitting at the kitchen table with his laptop in front of him tapping away at the keys. _

"_Yes." Quinn snapped pouring herself a glass of water and gulping it down quickly. "I'm going down to the kitchen." She carefully ignored Puck directing the statement at the others._

"_Do you want any help?" Rachel offered and then sighed as Quinn shook her head violently and disappeared out the door slamming the door behind her. "That was tense." She groaned sinking down next to Finn and cuddling into his side. _

"_Yeah what's up with her?" Kurt asked looking up from his emails. _

"_More like what's up with her and Puck." Rachel glared at him while he stared at the TV screen avoiding her accusing eyes. _

"_What did you do?" Kurt joined the others perching on the coffee table in front of the couch where Puck and Blaine were sitting. _

"_Nothing." He muttered looking at the floor. _

"_You're ignoring her." Finn supplied helpfully earning himself a glare from his best friend. _

"_And so she's ignoring you." Rachel added. _

"_Why are you ignoring her?" Blaine asked curiously shifting slightly to his right and therefore, further away from Puck. _

"_Cos he likes her." Finn answered for him grinning catching the pillow that Puck chucked in his direction. There was no denial from Puck and he only shuffled uncomfortably keeping his eyes firmly trained on the floor. _

"_Really?" Kurt touched Puck's knee but was unsurprised when he jerked it away. _

"_But nothing could happen." Puck burst out wildly betraying his true feelings on the situation. Finn and Kurt exchanged a worried look. "I live in New York, she lives here." _

"_But you like her." Rachel pointed out. "Maybe nothing would happen between you but what if it did. If you don't then you're going to spend the rest of your life wondering what could have happened. If something does happen between you and Quinn then you'll find a way." _

"_Just think about." Finn clapped him on the shoulder as he passed by on his way to get some chips. _

"_Can I talk you?" Quinn looked up and saw Puck leaning against the doorframe. Blaine and Kurt, armed with directions and an address, had gone to pick Beth up while Rachel had dragged Finn food shopping as he had eaten most of the food in the house. _

"_Go ahead." She shrugged returning to her work looking entirely focused on what she was doing. Puck shifted uncomfortably at her cold shoulder but moved forward into the kitchen. _

"_I'm sorry I was ignoring you." He blurted out; Quinn froze but stopped what she was doing listening carefully. "I just got freaked out about…" He trailed off drumming his fingers on the table unsure of how to proceed. _

"_About…?" Quinn raised an eyebrow turning to face him and giving him her full attention. _

_He swallowed tearing his eyes away from her face and down to the floor stopping the finger tapping. "About how much I like you." Quinn stared at him while a blush crept over his face. The silence that spread between them grew into a stretch of tension thicker than had occurred earlier and eventually Puck turned to move away. "Sorry, I'll just…" _

"_No wait." Quinn flung her hand out to stop him although her hand fell short of his body by quite a long way. Nevertheless he stopped in his tracks although keeping his back turned. "I…I feel the same way." _

"_You do." He spun on his heel staring at her. They stood frozen in place the tension changing to one neither could describe their eyes locked on each other's but seemingly unable to move closer to each other. _

_Eventually Puck broke the stance and crossed the room to her in three long strides cupping her face in his hands. She stared into his eyes before he finally kissed her, arms tangling around each other holding each other close. _

"_Mommy." Beth's voice rang out clearly and the two sprang apart red faced. "I won the pass the parcel." She grinned appearing in the kitchen tugging Kurt forward while a laughing Blaine followed. _

"_That's great honey." She returned the hug Beth gave her while Blaine and Kurt looked suspiciously at a blushing Quinn and Puck. _

"_Come on Beth let's go upstairs; I think your mother needs to talk to Puck." Blaine smirked at the couple taking the young beaver's hand and pulling her gently out of the kitchen. _

"_I really want to make this work." Puck looked nervous and Quinn snaked her arm round his waist. _

"_Me too." She whispered. "Do you think we can make this work long distance." _

"_We're damn well going to try." He grinned lifting her off her feet and spinning her round both of them laughing. _

**_I know the ending is a bit blunt and sudden leaving quite a few questions and millions of possibilites for a sequel but I am quite happy with where I left it- with the two of them together and you can believe whatever you want happens after. Look at Gone with the Wind and other books- huge cliffhangers at the end of the novel- sorry if you are disappointed but I think I will leave it here. If anyone wants to write a sequel I would love you too but please let me know first! _**

**_Thanks so much for all the amazing support you guys have given me; it's been wonderful and I'm so glad that you like my version of Beth and the characters and my plot! Thank you all so much- please continue to leave your thoughts and I may write more in this world at some time in the future! _**

**_Thanks again- hope you are not too disappointed by the ending! _**

**_Tacxxx_**


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